Daily Lie
by Lil-Maggi
Summary: Scootaloo opens up to her daughter about her old wounds and dark past as a teenager.
1. Chapter 1

**Daily Lie**

My daughter, Nova slammed the door behind her after getting home from school. I was in the kitchen preparing dinner for the night when I heard it; my reaction was to scold her about being gentle with it before she breaks it. I put down the spoon for the pasta.

I walked to the hallway, where the gray filly with a dark purple and black mane stood. "Nova, what have -"... I stopped as I soon saw tears dripped down her face. "Nova, is everything alright?

Nova avoided eye contact; she stared at the wooden floor. "I don't want to talk about It." She said, as she ran past me and up the stairs to her room, giving it another slam._ "Not this again"_. I thought as I climbed up the stairs. My daughter was always a_ "Late Bloomer"_ to put it nicely, problems at school must be getting worse.

"Nova sweetie, are you alright?" I knocked on her door.

"Go away". Nova yelled, part crying, through the door. I expected that response from her.

"Nova, this is the third time this week you came home like this. If you don't talk about it, it's just going to keep happening." I said as I tried to reason with her. I hated seeing her like this.

"I said go away". She said again.

"Fine". I said. There was no point to fight with her at least for now. Dinner still had to be made. I would have to deal with it later.

I went to the kitchen and continued what I was doing before, I put the garlic bread in the oven and turn it on. Then took the spoon and stirred it around in the pot of pasta. When I see Nova like that it breaks my heart however, she doesn't like to talk about what the kids do to her at school.

I've seen her come home with cuts and bruises and once, a black eye! It keeps getting worse but Nova refuses to tell me anything. There's not much I can do without any information. She used to be such a happy girl. Always smiling and laughing, now she locks herself in her room and only comes out for dinner or to go to school.

She doesn't have that many friends and rarely goes out on weekends. She would rather stay home and not be at school. Nova makes every excuse to get out of it. Like she has a stomachache or she doesn't want to walk in the rain, anything she can come up with, she'll use it. She has missed tons of school, too many days for me to count.

I poured the boiled water out in the sink, separating spaghetti and water.

I'm at my wits end with her, since my husband, Rumble goes on business trips a lot and isn't home that much to help out with Nova. I'm by myself most of the time with her. I kind of feel a like a single mom sometimes-.

"Mom". A voice said behind me.

I turned to see Nova standing the kitchen, head low in defect. She actually came out of her room that's a miracle in itself.

"Yes sweetie". I said. Taking in this rare moment.

"I think I'm ready to tell you what happens at school". Nova said. Tears formed in her eyes. Her self-confidence has really gone hill down since the surgery. She's no longer that happy little girl she once was.

"Okay, give me a minute to finish dinner and then we can talk it over while we eat". I said, putting the pasta back in the pot.

"Alright". Nova sniffed. She left and went back to her room.

Supper was on the table. Nova sat at the far end, she stayed quiet glared it at her plate of food. She picked at her food, staying quiet as possible. Guess I'm the one who has to start the conversation (yet again).

"So Nova, what did you want to talk to me about?' I asked from the other side of the table. Why did Rumble have to buy the biggest one they had at the store? I mean it takes up half of the living room!

For a moment Nova hesitated before an answer was given. "I'm just sick of everyone at school, everybody treats me like shit since I had the cancer and I had to have my wing removed". Nova said. She went back to stare at the floor again, a nervous habit she developed over time. "It's like no one cares about me anymore".

_A few months ago, Nova was diagnosed with cancer in her left wing. The cancer got bad so quickly that doctors acted and amputated the wing before could it spread. Nova was devastated that she wouldn't fly any longer. She cried and begged me not to let the doctors do this to her. I told her it would save her life and make her stronger. I loathed making her go through that but I had no choice. She could have died if I did nothing._

_My husband was away at work on another business trip and I couldn't get a hold of him. I called him several times with no answer. I had to face that on my own with her. It wasn't only hard for Nova it was hard on me too._

_When Nova was able to return to school. She was greeted by getting ignored by her best friends or being pushed into lockers by others. Nova used to tell me everything but when bullying started, she turned very shy and didn't want to be close to anyone, she has changed a lot over a short period of time._

"Nova, no swearing at the dinner table, it's not lady like". I cautioned slightly. 'And what do you mean when you think that no one cares".

Nova sighed. "None of my friends have spoken to me after the operation, even if I go near them, they fly off together. They called me a one winged freak-". Nova erupted into tears and broke down. I got out of my chair and hugged her.

"Shh, It's going to be fine and I think you should be calling these girls _"your friends"_ after what they did to you". I comforted her as I hugged her tighter.

Nova sniffed. "How do you know? You don't understand what it's like looking like a freak show all the time". Nova cried. "I'll be a flightless loser for the rest of my life".

I took in a deep breath to calm myself down. That brought back some bad memories and uncovered old wounds. _"She doesn't mean it, She's having a rough patch"._ I told myself for another time. It still pains me to hear that my daughter thinks she's a loser and though I felt the same once as well.

"Nova, I know what you're going through and it isn't easy, I wished you weren't hurting so much but I had a very similar thing happen to me when I was your age". I confessed.

Nova wiped her tears away. "What do you mean?"

_Imagine not being able to be like everyone else. What it's like seeing others do what you cannot. Something you were supposed to do at birth but for whatever the reasons are, you couldn't. Going through a living nightmare each and every day._

_No matter how much you want to scream and cry, you're not allowed too. No, you have to put on a brave face and live life to the fullest. Be an Inspiration for everyone around as there's always someone with it way worse than you. Show everyone you're not bothered by what your disabilities are._

_That's what I struggled with for years._

_For the longest time I felt useless and a disgrace to my kind. I'm not like other Pegasi for I can't fly due to a birth defect. My wings were too small for flight. I'll never feel the wind in my purple mane while soaring in the sky or sleeping in a cloud. There have been countless nights where I cried myself to sleep._

_I'm just a waste of space._

_Then came the next morning where I completely act like nothing is wrong and go my merry way. Sure, I have the odd pony asking me if there's anything up. But it always went the same way:_

_It was the first day of middle school. The change was stressful for me._

_"Hey Scoots". Apple-Bloom and Sweetie Belle, happily greeted me in unison before school started._

_"HI". I said, in monotone. Like I usually do,_

_"Scoots, are you alright?" Apple-Bloom asked in her thick southern accent. To tell the truth, I wasn't. I've been miserable and numb for years. But my friends don't need to know that. I'm not going to be that much of a Debbie Downer._

_"I'm fine". I lied. With my great acting skills to the test, they couldn't know,_

_"Umm… okay". Apple-Bloom remarked._

_"We should go to class now. Sweetie said. Looking at the clock on the wall. "Can't be late on the first day"._

_"Okay"._

_That was a lie I told every day. Who knew two simple words could cause me all this grief. It bothered me I was being two faced to my two best friends, but at the time I saw it as protecting them._

_I thought they'd laugh at me if I told the truth and tell me to get over it. I didn't want deal with that kind of crap. I don't need to hear it from them. I don't want to see the sorry faces, I have dealt with that enough._

_When I was younger I used to think that if I tried my hardest and have patience that I would fly. Boy, I was so wrong, I trained for nearly five years without seeing any change. I was completely destroyed with the fact that I couldn't fly. I thought I was being punished for an unknown reason._

_All the tears and sweat were not worth it. I just give up after that. No matter what I do I'm not seeing success and I was ready to quit for good. It all was falling apart and I was too._

_All of the other Pegasi my age had been flying for years and I couldn't. Was there something wrong with me? It was getting sad now, I was almost sixteen and I had never been in the sky._

_I'm hopeless; I'll never fly, not in this lifetime._

_I just wanted to end it all._

**A/N**

**Not many people know this about me that I was slowly going blind. It's was an nightmare and I struggled with it for years. It really took a toll on my self-confidence because i had trouble with everything on my own.I couldn't really be that independent because i was almost completely at blind at one point. Before I had my cornea transplants surgery. Scootaloo was a character i related to the most on the show.**


	2. Chapter 2

Nova and I moved into the living room and began chatting on the couch. After her meltdown at dinner, I'd moved us here to have a brief heart to heart. She'd finally calmed down and willingly joined me. I even gave her a glass of red wine, deciding that it would calm her down a bit. It was only a quarter of cup, so I didn't see the harm in it. I hoped she wasn't a lightweight like her dad is. Giving a minor a teensy bit of wine was one thing, but getting a minor _drunk_ was an entirely different beast altogether.

"So...are you ready to talk about what happened at school?" I asked her, taking a sip of wine. This should be good.

"I will after another glass of wine...pretty please?" Nova gave me her signature "puppy eyes." I wasn't impressed. I'd seen better.

"Nice try. You've had enough already, and besides...your father is going is to kill me if he finds out I let you drink any in the first place..."

"So don't tell him. What he know doesn't, won't hurt him, right?"

"No more alcohol for you, girl. You're only fifteen. Now focus."

"Ugh...you're such a buzz kill, mom. Fine." Nova rolled her blue eyes at me.

"Forgive me for not being "with it" or whatever you kids think is "cool" nowadays. Now what did you do, missy?" I was beginning to lose patience here. I didn't feel like getting the run around right now.

"Okay okay! I'll tell you...but you've got to promise you won't get mad."

"Fine. I promise. Now what happened?"

"You've got to give me a "Pinkie Promise." I put a hand to my forehead in exasperation. I didn't have the patience for this right now.

"Whatever. "Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." Good enough for you?" Nova nodded.

"Yep. Okay...so this is what happened..." Nova began telling her story.

_Nova grabbed her history textbook out of her locker and closed it. History was her last class for the day...and it was also her least favorite class. She looked around her in the crowded hallway full of students chatting in between periods. She usually didn't mind the noise, but she had a bit of a short fuse today. She decided to head straight to class. She turned around...and suddenly bumped into something and heard a clamor as several books fell upon the linoleum floor. It was a red-coated colt with a two-toned yellow and orange mane. She'd made him drop his textbooks by bumping into him._

"Oh, my bad! Sorry 'bout that...didn't you see there." She went to pick up the books to help him. It was the least she could do after crashing into him like that.,,but then again...he was built pretty solidly. She doubted she'd so much as bruised him.

"No, no, don't worry about it. It's fine. I got it," he said while picking the books up off the linoleum floor of the crowded hallway.

"No. I was the one who bumped in you, dude. Lemme' help." Nova stubbornly ignored his protests and continued to "help." Her militant politeness was to be refused by no one. No one.

"You don't need to. Really." The colt sighed in resignation after realizing that Nova was going to help him whether he liked it or not. While the two of them gathered the textbooks off the floor, their hands touched briefly. They both blushed, and Nova frantically took her hand away.

"S-sorry." The crimson taint on Nova's cheeks darkened even further. She couldn't help it. He was cute.

"It's cool. Hey, I was skipping class, anyway. You wanna' join me?"

"Won't you get in trouble for that?" The stallion rose to his full height. She was maybe five inches shorter then him. He was pretty imposing and well-built.

"Only if we get busted! And we're not gonna' get busted. Scout's honor!" He winked at her. Nova thought about his proposition for a second. History had never been her favorite subject, and there was someone actually talking to her. In person. Not many ponies had talked to her now after she'd had her surgery. They usually saw her as an outcast or a freak. She couldn't blow this for herself. Maybe the two of them could foster a closer relationship?

"Okay, I'm game. History sucks anyway."

"Gym's worse."

"Huh. Really? I'm gonna' have to disagree with you there. I'm Nova by the way." Why would this guy hate gym class?

He seemed pretty athletic, so it should be a breeze for him. Nova, however, despised gym only slightly less than history. Despite her slender build, she was pretty unfit. She couldn't do a single pull or do anything more than dangle with her feet off the ground on the rope climb. This guy shouldn't have any problem with either activity, though. Maybe he just didn't like dressing out or showering with a bunch of dudes. That last thought made Nova blush again. She inwardly cursed her adolescent hormones for making her such a clumsy, amorous mess.

"Nice to meet you, Nova. I'm Crimson. Ready to head out?" "Crimson?" "Crimson...what?" She wondered what his full name was.

The two walked out the school doors as the bell rang. Crimson discreetly draped one of his arms around Nova as the two of them walked out into the warm sunshine. She chose not to say anything about it. In a weird way, she liked it...and she was desperate to have any sort of friend after her old "friends" had ditched her. She'd felt lonely for such a long while. This was a nice change of pace. And, hey...it wasn't like Crimson wasn't easy on the eyes or anything. She could do a lot worse, right? The big colt smiled at her. She liked his smile. He had a cute smile. Today was turning out to be a pretty good day, after all

With hands locked, Crimson took Nova to a small park across from the school. He brought over her a shady spot where trees hidden from any prying eyes. The big colt sat under a tree motioned Nova to join him. Nova took a seat on the ground but made sure she sat beside him where her single wing could put some distance between them. She was nervous. As much as she liked this guy, she wanted to take things slow. She'd heard from a lot of ponies how relationships always turned sour when a couple rushed things. But were they a couple? A real, legit couple?

"So...uh...do...do you come here often?" Nova asked. making a rather clumsy attempt at conversation. Luckily, Crimson didn't seem to mind. He seemed perfectly at ease in her company, though. She wished she could say the same about herself.

"Just to cut gym class...which...I guess makes that all the time...maybe I should've just said that outright, huh? Hehehe..."

The big colt chuckled. She wondered if it was a nervous chuckle...a part of her wished that he was feeling just as awkward as she was right now. Was he nervous, too? But after Crimson suddenly scooted a bit closer to her, she decided that he wasn't. The two of them were barely two inches away from one another now...but the big guy wasn't putting any pressure on her, and he seemed to be taking things slow with her. She smiled and grasped his hand in her own...she could feel the rough, callused texture of his hand. It was so much different than her own foal-soft, smooth hand...and Crimson's hand was so big that it completely engulfed her own. She blushed. He was clearly pretty strong...but his grip on her hand was so gentle. He was sweet. This wasn't too bad. She relaxed a little. She was close enough to smell his cologne now...she also thought she could smell something else...tobacco? She couldn't really tell for certain, seeing as to how she didn't hang around smokers enough to know the smell. Not that she cared that much, though...it still smelled nice. He smelled nice. Masculine. Should she tell him such a thing? Would he take it as a compliment, or would he just think she was weird? She forced herself to stop over-thinking the situation. She took a deep breath and tried to relax again...

"You skip Equestrian much?" The big colt didn't seem the slightest bit ill at ease. Had he done this with another filly before? She felt a sudden pang of irrational jealousy. She forced herself to stop over-thinking...yet again. She hoped she wouldn't keep over-analyzing everything the two of them said and did. It was getting kind of annoying at this old.

"Not so much Equestrian. Mostly just History...that stuff is mind-numbing, dude. But...I don't have anyone to skip class with...so...uh...*ahem*...I don't usually do this...but like I...this is pretty cool...I'll...I'll shut up now..." Nova was inwardly kicking herself. Why couldn't stop babbling and shut her big yap?!

She wondered if she sounded like a dork? Did he think she was a dork? She hoped not. Dorks didn't land coltfriends. Dorky mares ended up fat and alone with their only solace in life being their occasional trip to the comic book store to buy the latest issue of Spidermane or Batmare...and to chat up the stallion working as the cashier as their sole means of male contact. At least, that's what she thought happened to dorks...in the movies, anyway. But what qualities made a filly a "dork," anyway? She was starting to feel nervous again...

"Ha! Well, you do now, Nova! Consider me your "go-to" from now on, if you ever wanna' skip with somepony. But I actually kinda' dig History myself. Equestrian history is pretty cool, if you try to get invested in it and stuff. You learn all sorts of awesome stuff about the past that most ponies have forgotten about. Some pretty crazy stuff went down in history, trust me. Did you know Princess Celestia and Luna were originally from the Kingdom of Germaneigh? It was like after they got exiled for speaking out against the king and stuff over eight hundred years ago. After they got booted out, they went south and founded Equestria at the village of Dappleshore...it's pretty crazy to think how tiny we were back then as big as we are, huh? Oh, and the Princesses had those funny accents and everything back then, too...hehehe..." Nova groaned. Great. Just what she needed right now. A history lecture. But she didn't want him to think he was boring her.

"Uh...wow...I didn't know that. That's...that's neat." "Neat?" Did she just say "neat?!" Nopony her age said "neat!" What was she? Eighty years old?!

"Ah, I get it...I'm boring you. Sorry. I kinda' get carried away about all that stuff." Uh oh. He was on to her. She pretty pull a quick save.

"Oh! No, dude! It's cool! Y-you're not boring me or anything. I...we can talk about history, if you want. I like history, too...I just like...said all that stuff before to...to...uh..." Crap! Now she was babbling! Her brain frantically searched for the right words to say to the handsome colt. She didn't want him to think she despised his favorite subject in school! But Crimson merely smiled at her in response.

"Hehehe...yeah...suuuuurrrreee. Whatever you say, Nova. C'mon. You can't fool me. I saw your eyes glazing over." What should she say to him? Should she be honest? Or should she make something up? Thankfully, Crimson

"It's fine. So what if you're not a history buff? Big deal. You can't help what you do and don't like. Everypony's different." That was true. He wasn't judging her. She sighed a breath of relief and responded...

"Well, no, it's not that I just...uh...like totally hate history or anything. I guess I just don't like the teacher, Mrs. Winnie. All she does is put on movies and give homework. It's really boring. I think she hates her job. Like...for example, I saw her put her feet on her desk last week...she started texting the whole time we were watching this movie about the formation of the Equestrian diarchy or something. And I think she puts scotch in her coffee, too." Much to her surprise, Crimson started giggling. Actually, giggling! She didn't know colts giggled! It was one of the cutest things she'd ever seen...she groaned to herself...she was acting like a complete tool.

"Hehehehehe!...aw...man...she sounds like a model teacher," Crimson said, as he'd procured the items for which he'd been rummaging in his pack.

Crimson took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter...he lit up a smoke and took a heavy...he breathed out the blue-grey smoke in a big, nebulous cloud in front of the pair. Nova merely stared at the smoking colt in pure disbelief. She'd had no idea he smoked...but then again, his cologne had masked most of the tobacco's scent on his clothes. Nova felt a pang of intense disappointment. As a cancer survivor, she wanted nothing to do with smoking...or smokers. Why did Crimson have to do one of the things she hated the most? Did the one colt who actually took an interest in her really have to a smoker? Why couldn't she just catch a break? Was this all some sort of complex joke? Did some cosmic being up above think messing with her every other day in some new and unique way was funny or something? If so, then she hoped it was all worth it. She hoped he was getting a good laugh out of all this, whoever he was. A simple knock-knock joke was good enough for Nova, but nooooooooo! This guy liked architecting these great, farcical tragedies that were absurdly complex and laden with all sorts of satire and irony!

"Oh, did you want one?" Crimson offered her a cigarette, dangling it in front of her face. She grimaced.

"No, thanks," she said in a terse, no-nonsense voice.

"Oh. Okay, then." A thick waft of tobacco smoke entered Nova's nostrils, prompting her to sputter and cough.

"*cough* *cough* Blegh! Could you please just...like put that out? Please? It's making me tear up, Crimson."

The stench of the oily, acrid smoke was grossing her out. She scoot away from him, as she sputtered and wheezed. Why did some ponies think it was "cool" to smoke? Were they trying to kill themselves? Did they have a problem with breathing without an oxygen tank after they'd contracted emphysema? Did they just like the smell or something? Nova shook her head. She just couldn't understand some ponies.

"Sorry...but could you just let me finish one first? I'll stop after this one. Promise."

"Okay...*cough*...but no more...*cough*...jeez..." Crimson's eyes softened. He exhaled a final drag off his cigarette before flicking the lit cherry out onto the dirt by his boot. He stomped out the cherry and put his cigarettes away. He looked...apologetic...and embarrassed...Nova felt guilty. She hadn't wanted to make the guy feel bad or anything. She'd just wanted to breath air that didn't make her cough up a lung or something.

"Hey...I'm sorry. I didn't know it bothered you so much. Sorry." She smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. I just can't stand the smell...it makes me gag...ugh..."

"Is that all? Hehehe...well, that's why ponies invented body spray. Cigarette smoke, I banish thee!" Crimson procured a black can of body spray with a roguish grin and then proceeded to spray himself with the strong-smelling substance...

Nova decided that the body spray wasn't much a superior alternative smell to the stench of burning tobacco. The caustic cloud of deodorant was starting to make Nova gag almost as much as the smoke had...in fact, it was actually worse! She covered her nose and mouth to block out the smell. Nova wretched and coughed as the body spray assailed her eyes, nose, and mouth all at once...like some sort of "bum's-rush" offensive maneuver intended to overwhelm with sheer intensity rather than any sort of defined strategy. Why did colts think that girls liked the smell of that crap?! It made you smell worse than before! And why did the company that made the stuff think it was a good idea to make the smell so strong?! It was like getting punched in the head with a huge fist holding a bunch of flowers that had been soaked in pine cleaner! Nova covered her snout with her shirt to filter out the ordure. She sighed in exasperation as Crimson continued to cluelessly pile on the cheap, vehement deodorant with a goofy smile on his face. He actually thought he was helping...

Great. She couldn't believe that she'd ever miss the smell of cigarette smoke.

A while after he had completely encompassed himself in a thick cloud of that awful, gag-inducing body stray and had put out his cigarette, Crimson spread his wings and took to the air. He landed on a low-altitude cloud and quickly surveyed the distant school to see if class had let out or not. Nova hoped the wind would blow some of that nasty stench off him. Crimson flew back to the ground and sat back down next to her. He had the look of a colt who had something awkward to ask/say. And as he began speaking after what had seemed an eternity of uncomfortable silence, Nova understood why he had this look.

"Um...hey, Nova...can I ask you something?"

"Yeah. Sure. What's up?"

"Do you like...d-do you have a boyfriend? It's cool if you already do, though. Just...you know...curious...*ahem*" Nova's cheeks turned beet red.

"Um...n-no...not really, why?" She was still reeling from her surprise.

Nova had been taken completely off-guard by his question. Why would he ask her about something like right out of the blue?! Weren't you supposed to ease into asking questions like that?! She wasn't even sure how she should answer him. She barely knew him after all. Although Nova had seen Crimson in the hallway quite a few times, neither of the two ponies had ever talked until today. They didn't even have any classes together. Why would Crimson take such an interest in a filly he barely knew? But...apparently, she was doing something right, as Crimson put his arm around her again and pulled her in closer to him. Nova was glad that the dreadful tobacco-body spray stench had been dissipated by wind...he didn't smell like an ashtray full of cologne anymore.

"You don't? Oh, cool. I just figured a filly like you would have already...uh...you know..." He pulled her even closer towards him. But what had he meant by that last comment?

"What'd you mean by all that "a filly like you would have already, you know" business?" He wasn't implying that she...she was "loose?" Was he?

"Oh, uh...it's just that you're really pretty. I just figured you already had a boyfriend is all." She blushed again. Her heart began beating a bit faster. She had to answer him...she had to let him know that he hadn't flustered her. She had to play it cool.

"T-thanks, dude. You're not so bad looking yourself." Yeah. Like a boss. If she hadn't stuttered a bit while saying "thanks," then she'd have almost sounded like a veritably sultry movie vixen.

"Hehehe...thanks, Nova. So...uh...what do you think of me? Being your boyfriend, I mean?" Nova felt Crimsom's hand slide down her back to her waist. It was making her pretty uncomfortable, but she did nothing to stop it. After all...wasn't this kind of stuff a part of dating? Should she just go along with it?

"Uh...I...I'm not sure..." What sort of answer was that?! Would he take offense?

"Well...I think we'd good together, Nova...I've seen in around the school a bunch of times. You're always by yourself...you always look so...well...lonesome. I don't think that's right. A pretty girl like yourself shouldn't be alone all the time...you deserve better..." As sweet as his words seemed, Crimson's subsequent actions held an entirely different connotation.

After he'd said this, Crimson began sensually running his hand down Nova's leg. He pull her even closer...his hand began massaging her upper thigh. That did it. It was too much too soon. Crimson had crossed the line. He couldn't possibly think she'd do something like that, could he? This wasn't even their first date technically! Why would he even think doing such a thing this soon was reasonable?! But...what if he didn't care? That thought chilled Nova down to her very bones. Alarm bells started going off in her head. She needed to come up with a reason to get away from him. Anything. Now.

"I-I think I should go, Crimson. S-sorry. I have a lot of homework to do. I'll see you around..." She slung her bag over her shoulders and began briskly walking away from where Crimson sat. She thought it'd be a pretty good idea right about now to put some distance between the two of them.

"Nova! W-wait a minute!," he shouted after her. Nova stopped suddenly in her tracks and turned to face him. But why? Why was she doing this? She must be crazy. She had to get out of here.

"Yeah? What?"

"You forgot your textbook." Crimson walked up to her and handed her the book. She took it and put it in her bag. She turned to leave again.

"Thanks. Bye," she said in a terse, nervous voice. But she couldn't leave for some reason. She just stood there. Her hand brush a single strand of her vibrant, purple mane away from her eyes, and she awkwardly stared at the while avoiding eye contact with the big colt. He was the first to break the silence.

"Uh...so...d-do you wanna' hang out again sometime?" His demeanor had changed entirely. Now Nova understood. Crimson had likely thought that putting on a cool face and being overly aggressive equated to "confidence." She had misread his intentions. He'd probably taken some bad dating advice about "being the alpha male" without understanding what that even meant. He wasn't a creeper after all. He'd tried to put on the "cool act", but now Nova knew that he'd been every bit as nervous as she had.

"What do you mean by "hang out?"

"Uh...yeah...sorry about that. I didn't mean to freak you out or anything...I just...I really wanna' see you again, Nova."

He was sorry. He hadn't wanted to frighten her at all. He was so unsure of himself. Vulnerable. This was the real Crimson. He wasn't some "ladies colt" type guy at all. He was inexperienced, too. It was pretty adorable, she had to admit. She was feeling a lot more comfortable around him now. Maybe she should give him a second chance?

"Hehehe...so...like...what? Are you asking me out or something?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on how you answer." Nova giggled. He was trying to reclaim a little bit of his lost confidence. But he couldn't fool her anymore. She knew he was just a big softie inside. Not a lecherous creep.

"Yeah. Okay, sure. So, what'd you have in mind?"

"How 'bout a movie next Friday?"

"Which movie?"

"Well...you have to come to found out." Crimson smirked at her like a mischievous colt.

"Playing hardball, huh? Alright, then. It's a date." He beamed at her. She liked his smile.

"Okay. Cool...so...what do we do now?" Nova walked over to him and grasp his right hand in her left.

"How 'bout we just walk around for a bit? It's a nice day. Shame to waste it, right?" He nodded and intertwined his fingers with her own, taking care not grip her digits too tightly. He was gentle. Sweet.

"Yeah. You got a point, Nova. Heard it might rain tomorrow, too." The two ponies began walking away from the tree hand-in-hand. She was feeling a lot more optimistic about the two of them.

She smiled gently as she walked with him. She was glad she'd given him a second chance.

Nova ended her story there.

"Nova...did anything else happen after the "walk?" I exhaled a deep sigh and set down my glass of wine. I was worried that there was more to the story than what Nova had let on.

"No, that's it. We had coffee afterwards but nothing else, really."

"Then why did you come home so upset? I'm confused."

"Well...I kinda' felt guilty for skipping class. And...uh...and...I got beat up on my way home..."

"What?!"

"Jeez, mom! Relax! It's not that big a deal! This is why I didn't wanna' tell you at first." She wanted me to relax after hearing something like that?! Had Nova lost her mind?!

"Are you kidding me?! Of course, it's a big deal! What happened?!"

"Mom...please...just..."

"Do you know who they were? Were they kids from your school, or were they townies? Whatever. Doesn't matter. I'm calling the school first thing in the morning." No one was going to rough up my kid and get away with it. I'd see to it personally if need be.

"Mom! C'mon! You don't have to do that! It happens all the time to some kids between classes."

"Yes, I do need to do this! This is serious, Nova! What if you'd really gotten hurt?! What if you keep letting it happen to you, and you end up in the hospital?!"

"Calm down! Please! I'm already embarrassed enough as it is! The last thing I need is something else they can make fun of me for! I don't fit in as it is already!"

"Whoopty friggin' doo, Nova. High school doesn't matter in the long scheme of things. You grow out of it. But someone putting their hands on you isn't something to take lightly. In fact, it's illegal...does the word "assault" ring any bells? We've got to do something about this."

"Just...please...please just drop the subject already. Calling the school won't do any good, anyway...I shouldn't have even told you all this..."

Wait...what? What do mean "it won't do any good?"

"Remember Gemma from my last year's class?" I did. In fact, I knew the name well.

_Gemma was a girl who'd gone to Nova's school last year and was regularly bullied just like Nova. Of course...the school had done nothing to stop it. It had gone on for most of the year until one day...it went too far. Gemma couldn't take the taunting anymore and committed suicide in her room one night after school. Nova had been pretty broken up about it even though she and Gemma weren't all that close. But I understood why. Gemma's situation was almost identical to my daughter's. But I'd be damned before I'd just sit idly by and let the same thing happen to Nova._

"I rather not gossip about this. Can finish you what were tell about you not flying? How did Auntie Dash or your parents take it". Rainbow Dash, my adoptive sister, she took me in where no one else would. She even walked me down the isle on my wedding day.

"Let's just your auntie was there for me when no anybody else was". I said. To this day I won't talk about my parents. Even my husband doesn't know very much and I have married been to him for twenty years almost. Just something I don't rather not to remember those times.

_Not flying wasn't the only thing that made me depressed. At home with my parents were horrible times and they put a lot of pressure on me to fly. They told I would be disowned if I didn't. I wouldn't mean nothing to them if I didn't. My father used to come in my room and would tell me that I was a piece of shit Pegasus. My mother stood by and did nothing to stop it. Eventually I had enough. There was a night where he went too far. My own father hit me. That was the day I would take no more…_

_I ran away._

_When my parents were sleep that same night, I went through the window in my room. I slept on a park bench in the cold of the night with a newspaper blanket. I pulled down my sleeves as far as they go to keep myself warm. I eventually fell asleep with a tear rolling down my face._

_***_

_"Scootaloo, what are you doing here?" I heard the voice just before a hand started shaking me._

_"W-what," I stuttered as I started to wake up. I saw a blue mare with rainbow hair. Near her was a stallion standing in the distance. The only thing I could tell was that he had light cyan hair._

_It was Rainbow Dash. I've known her since I was in elementary school and I have looked up to her for just as long._

_"I said why you are sleeping on a bench?" She repeated. "Won't your parents be worried sick?" Rainbow got on her knees to my level._

_"It's fine," I lied. "I just wanted to sleep under the stars." It was a cloudy night and below zero in winter. _

_"Do your parents know you're here?" Rainbow questioned._

_Dash, are going to be much longer? I'm freezing out here," The stallion called out._

_"Sorry Soarin, I just need another minute with her." Dash rolled her eyes. "Go run for a bit to stay warm."_

_"I'm not leaving you in the park alone this late!"_

_"Then quit complaining and stay close," she retorted, a little annoyed._

_"Who's that?" I asked._

_"My date. Don't change the topic. Now answer the question."_

_"No they don't, and I'm not going back to that house ever again." The tears now began to pour down my face. Rainbow stood back up and went in deep thought._

_"Scootaloo, you can crash at my house for the night, but we're going to have a talk about what happened with your parents, alight?"_

_I nodded. When I left, I didn't take a jacket with me. That was a mistake on my part._

_"Can we go now?" I shivered as I rubbed my hands together to try and keep myself warm. Rainbow took off her black scarf and handed it to me._

_"Here," She said, as she wrapped it around my neck._

_"We should get you warm. Hey Soarin, I'm taking Scoots home with me." Soarin was running around a bench to keep warm._

_"What about our date?" Soarin asked. "I don't know when I'll be getting time off again."_

_"We'll talk about it later," Dash said. "I need to get her home. Look at her, she's freezing."_

_Soarin agreed but didn't seem that happy._

_Rainbow and I walked back to her apartment with Soarin lagged along behind us. We all entered her place. Her tiny one-bedroom flat was just a little bit than the room at my parent's house._

_"Scoots, looks like you have the couch. I'll get you a baggy shirt to sleep in, so I'll be back in a bit." Rainbow hung her red parka in a hanger and put it the closet._

_Soarin sat at the small table in the kitchen area. He honestly looked like he wanted to kill someone. It was probably me. I felt bad that their date was a bust because of me, but Dash did offer me to spend the night here and I was not to going to reject that proposal. I could have frozen to death if she didn't come by when she did. I have been that cold before._

_"So, how many dates have you been on with Dash?" I asked casually. It felt painful with the silence._

_I saw Soarin counted on his fingers._

_"Nine, I think," He said. _

_"That's nice," I commented. Aw, that's so adorable. Dashie has a boyfriend. _

_"Okay, Scoots. Here's a shirt, a blanket, and a pillow," Dash said as she threw the green shirt at me. Due to my slow reaction, it landed on my head. Rainbow giggled at that._

_"Is it that late already?" Soarin said as he stared at his watch. "I should get going now. Night Dash and Scootaloo." It was practically two in the morning on a Friday night…_

_"You can just call me Scoots if you want," I said._

_"I'll walk you out. Don't fall asleep yet, Scoots. Remember we need to have our little talk first." She grabbed her keys and put on her shoes. Soarin wrapped his arm tightly around her and headed out the door._

_"Goodnight, Scoots," Soarin said, as he closed the door._

_"They sure make a cute couple." I thought to myself as I laid down on the couch. It sure was better than outside on a cold night. I was exhausted and I wanted sleep, but Dash said not to. I bet my parents don't care that I ran away, my father especially. I never want to see them again._

_***_

_Dash returned to her apartment. She put the keys on the counter and put away her shoes in the closet._

_"Scoots, are you still awake?"_

_''Yes," I responded as I fought the urge to sleep. Dash joined me on the arm of the sofa._

_"I did ruin your date with Soarin, didn't I?" I felt so guilt-ridden; Dash seemed to like him a lot, enough to go in nine dates with him._

_"No, it's not a huge deal. He'll get over it. Besides, I wasn't going to leave you in the park! Its quite dangerous for you to be out that late by yourself," Dash assured. "He just didn't like how our time was cut short because he works so much."_

_I felt relieved._

_"Are going to see him again?"_

_Dash nodded. "Don't worry about it. We're good and he thinks it's sweet how I'm helping you out." Dash got off the sofa. "I can see your tired and I am too, so I won't keep you any longer. Night."_

_"Night Dash, and… thanks." I rested my head on the pillow and closed my eyes_

_"Your welcome, Scoots," She said as she headed into her room._

_***_

_Next morning, I woke up to see Dash in the kitchen. She had made herself a bowl of cereal and was eating it at the table._

_"Morning," I said blearily as I rubbed my eyes._

_"Morning sleepy- Scootaloo, what's with your eye?" Dash was in complete shock, so she dropped her spoon on the floor._

_"What are you talking about?" I asked confused. _

_"G-go look in the bathroom mirror now!" Dash said in terror._

_I did as she said and went straight to the bathroom. When I saw my reflection, my right eye was black and swollen. It was my father's handiwork. Weren't parents supposed love their children? Rivulets of tears formed in streaks down my face. There's no way I'm going back. I hate them so much._

_I heard a knock at the door. "Scootaloo, is everthing alright in there?" Dash called from the otherside._

_"Yeah, I'll be fine!" I hastily wiped away my tears. Don't show any weakness. I opened the door and stood at the doorway._

_"Scootaloo, w-what happened? Who did this to you?"_

_I couldn't fake it any longer. There wasn't a point in hiding it anymore. No longer would I pretend that everything was fine. All she wanted was to help me out._

_"It was my dad." It was all I managed before I broke down in heart clenching sobs._


End file.
